Daydreams in Summertime
by tadako.kazahaya
Summary: AU. Kairi’s got a secret crush on Sora, but he’s going out with Namine. While Namine’s away on vacation, Sora gets into an accident and wakes up with amnesia... and mistakes Kairi for Namine. Whoopsies! [sxk] hiatus only for now. Sorry.. but R&R ANYWAY!
1. The News

**Daydreams in Summertime**

**A/N:** fOmg, second fanfic. O.o I tried to not write this one while the other one was still in progress… but I couldn't take it. TT-TT;; This is rated teen just in case.

**Disclaimer:**_I am not a doctor and I do not study anything in the medical field_, so if I write something that's not medically correct, then I'm sorry, cause I really wouldn't know. I'll try my best though… Oh yeah. I also don't own Kingdom Hearts. XD And I don't own the song "Edelweiss". That song is from the movie, The Sound of Music.

**Description:** Kairi's got a secret crush on Sora, but he's going out with Namine. While Namine's away on vacation, Sora gets into an accident and wakes up with amnesia… & mistakes Kairi for Namine. Hohoho.

* * *

.**Chapter One – The News**

_Namine giggled as she fed Sora a French fry. The smiles on their faces displayed unconditional happiness and bliss as they ate and talked to each other, their hands interlocked in between them under the table, supposedly hidden from their friends' view. Kairi's head was hung low but her eyes were watching every move the two of them were making. Her heart would race every time she saw Sora smile._

"_Kairi?"_

"_Huh?" Kairi picked her head up to see her two best friends, Riku and Selphie, stare at her. Selphie grinned._

"_Were you staring at Sora again?" she winked._

"_N-no!" she denied._

"_Oh, come one," Riku said, "It's written all over your face. If it weren't for Namine, you'd be smiling uncontrollably by now."_

_Kairi gasped and covered her cheeks. "W-was I blushing?"_

"_Hahaha, of course you were!" Selphie replied. "Man, Kairi, you're so cute!" Kairi pouted her lips as Selphie continued to laugh. Riku on the other hand failed to be amused._

"_I don't know why there would be any reason to blush. It's just Sora getting fed some toxic cafeteria food," Riku grumbled._

"_Hah, Riku, I think you're just jealous of Sora," Selphie said._

"_WHAT?" he retorted._

"_Hah, chill out! She IS your ex, you know!"_

"_That was like a year ago! I'm totally over her now," he stated. He nervously glanced at Kairi who just smiled back warmly to reassure him that he was free of blame._

"_Excuses, excuses!" Selphie intoned._

"_But can it be that Riku just doesn't like Sora?" Kairi solemnly asked. Riku looked back at her expression and was unable to respond to her question. He looked away, now feeling a little guilty._

"_D-don't give me that look, Kai," he said. "I didn't mean—"_

"_Of course he hates him!" Selphie confirmed, "There's always this rivalry between them in mainly sports and sometimes girls since he ended up taking his ex-girlfriend!"_

"_SELPHIE!" Riku exclaimed. She laughed again as Riku scowled in embarrassment. Even Kairi chuckled a little as he tried to regain his posture. "Anyway! That's not the reason why I said that. I meant that the cafeteria food was horrible. If anything, I'd feel sorry for him for eating such crap."_

"_Even though you hate his guts?" Selphie teased. She shrugged back in defense as Riku glared at her and backed down when he saw that her playful smile didn't waver. Kairi chuckled at them as Selphie cleared her throat. "Yeah, well anyway, Namine won't be around to feed him crap fries for long," Selphie said._

"_Huh?" the two chorused._

"_Yeah, you heard me." Selphie leaned in closer. "I hear that Namine's going away for most of the summer, so Sora's probably gonna blitzball himself crazy for the rest of vacation."_

"_Where is she going?" Kairi asked._

"_Don't know."_

"_She's going to Twilight Town," Riku said. "That's where she moved from four years ago and she goes there ever summer."_

"_Oh, I remember now," Kairi said. "That was the only time we actually saw you while you were going out with her."_

"_What do you mean?" he asked._

_Kairi looked down and bit her lip. "Well, I mean…"_

"_She means that you totally shut us out during your relationship with her," Selphie explained. "Right, Kairi?"_

_Kairi looked away guiltily, but nodded._

"_Oh yeah… Sorry about that," Riku said._

"_It's okay…" Kairi looked back at Sora who was laughing with Namine. The blonde hugged his arm and kissed him on cheek before resting her head on his shoulder. Something tugged at Kairi's heart to look away but she couldn't help but to keep staring at the lovely pair caught in the moment. Riku and Selphie worriedly switched glances at each other when they noticed that Kairi's eyes were filled with longing and envy._

- --- -

Suddenly interrupted from deep thought, Kairi jumped when a shrilling cry came from one of the hospital rooms. A couple of nurses rushed passed her and made their way to the source of it; other nurses and patients capable of walking peeked out of their rooms to see what was going on. Kairi remained leaning against the wall, listening to the wailing patient or visitor and watched a nurse check if things were all right.

"Is everything okay?" called out a low voice. Kairi turned and looked up to see a tall, old doctor with red eyes and blonde hair, only half of his body outside of the room he was in.

"They got it covered, Doctor Ansem," the nurse replied. He nodded and went back into the room, just as all of the other curious patients did. Kairi peered inside the door Dr. Ansem went into. She saw a man and a woman, most likely Sora's parents, stand by the hospital bed. Sora's mother was in tears as she gazed at her unconscious son, although Kairi could only see the foot of the bed. She pulled her head back and continued to wait for his parents to leave. Sighing, she restlessly looked at her watch.

_Selphie and Riku are late,_ she thought to herself.

"I'm very sorry about that," said Dr. Ansem, his voice coming from the room. "So, he went out for a drive, but you're unable to verify where and why?"

"We don't know where," Sora's dad answered, "But as to why… well, I think he and my wife had a fight about something and he just left… you know how teenagers are these days."

"I—I didn't m-mean for him to…!" Sora's mom choked on her words and began to sob uncontrollably. Kairi bit her lip and shut her eyes tight. She felt horrible for overhearing all of this. With one hand clutching the side of her skirt, she anxiously looked at her wristwatch again; a minute barely passed. She shut her eyes again in an attempt to block out the conversation going on inside the room. Another flashback was starting to come as she remembered what happened the other day.

- --- -

_It's been a week into the summer and Kairi was finally able to sleep in. She wasn't a morning person and she would often sleep well after midnight. But that morning before noon, Kairi woke up to an irritating ring. Groaning, she opened her eyes opened and her brain registered the tune: "Edelweiss" in monotone-cellphone form. Selphie or Riku was calling her. Annoyed, she took the phone and pushed the "ignore" button, hoping that they'd understand that she was sleeping. She put the phone away under her pillow and her head plopped back down into it. Before falling back asleep, the phone rang again, and Kairi ignored it, hoping they'd stop calling. After a couple of time of this, she set the phone on vibrate. Soon after, she felt her pillow vibrate. Vexed and now a little more awake, she finally picked up._

_"What?" she grunted._

_"Kairi?" It was Selphie. "Thank God you finally picked up. Are you awake enough to hear this?" She sounded serious. That's unusual for her. "Oh, and just so you know, I found this out from Riku. He didn't want to be the one to tell you, so he told me to do it." Kairi wondered this was going to be bad news. Then again, why would Selphie keep calling her after Kairi's obvious refusal to pick up? She picked her head up, ready to brace herself for the worst._

_"What is it?" Kairi asked._

_"It's Sora," she replied, pausing a little. "He… he got into an accident."_

_Kairi's eyes widened and she jumped out of bed. "WHAT?"_

_"I know, I know! But don't freak out, okay? He's in the hospital now," Selphie said._

_Kairi was at a loss of words. Tears welled up in her eyes as she covered her mouth._

_"Oh my God…" she mumbled._

_"What? I didn't hear you."_

_"Is he alright?" she asked when she moved her hand away._

_"Yeah… He's fine. But Tidus…" Selphie trailed off._

_"What? Who's that?" Kairi asked frantically. "But Sora's alright, right?"_

_"Yes, Sora's fine! Tidus is one of Sora's best friends from the blizball team. He… he was with Sora," she continued. "It was yesterday. They were coming back from the airport when they went to see Namine off. Some car ran a red light and crashed into the passenger's seat… Sora was driving, so he wasn't hit directly… But Tidus was in shotgun and he…" There was a long pause._

_"…He what?"_

_"He died, Kairi! He died!"_

- --- -

"Kairi?"

"Huh?" Kairi looked up to see Selphie and Riku.

"Sorry we're late," Riku said.

"Spacing out, huh?" Selphie asked with a concerned smile. "How are you?"

"I'm fine…" she replied.

"Looks like Sora's parents are in there," Riku observed as he peeked into the room. "Is that why you're waiting out here?" Kairi nodded. "I see."

"Hmm, you can only see his feet from out here," Selphie noticed.

"He's in a coma," Kairi said.

"For a day, huh?" Selphie pondered to herself. "Wow. I wonder how Namine would react."

"She probably knows already," Riku said.

"Well then. That already starts off her crappy summer," Selphie invoiced. She noticed Kairi staring at the floor. "Hey, Kairi, cheer up," she said, nudging her. Kairi nodded glumly.

"Thanks, guys, for agreeing to meet me here… I wouldn't have been able to do this alone," she said. "Especially you, Riku… I know you and Sora aren't on very good terms."

"Pfft… s'not a problem. I don't hate him, it's just his attitude I don't like sometimes," he clarified. Kairi nodded, still not understanding what there is to dislike Sora.

"I think you should thank Namine," Selphie said. Kairi and Riku gave her a confused look. "You know, for not being here, for deciding to take a vacation. You wouldn't have been able to visit Sora if Namine were here, would you?"

"I-I don't know…"

"It would've been awkward for Riku and Namine only vaguely knows us. Even so, she knows enough to know that we're not really friends of Sora. We don't even talk to him," Selphie explained. Riku and Kairi looked at each other and shrugged.

"I guess that's true," Riku said. "But Namine's the reason why Tidus and Sora got into an accident anyway. They were coming from the airport."

"Then this is just a blessing in disguise," Selphie said.

"Uh, Selphie? Tidus died in the accident, in case you've forgotten," Riku reminded. Selphie shrugged.

"And that's tragic. But I think you guys should think more positively. Life sucks anyway, so maybe Tidus is happy where he is," she suggested. Riku just stared at her, almost dumbfounded to hear this coming from someone who was always energetic and lively. She never ceased to amaze him.

"I'll never understand your logic," Riku said. Selphie just smiled and gave him a thumbs up. Sighing, Riku noticed Kairi staring at the floor.

"Kairi? Are you okay?" he asked, placing his hand on her shoulder.

Kairi looked up and nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay…"

"It's okay Kairi! You can become Namine's 'replacement' while she's gone!" Selphie winked.

"SELPHIE!" Kairi exclaimed with eyes wide.

"Hah, chill out! I was obviously joking! I can't believe you took that seriously," she sniggered.

"Only you could still crack a joke in this kind of situation," Riku sighed.

Before Selphie could respond, three adults came out of the room: Sora's mom, dad and Dr. Ansem. Sora's mom looked at the teenage trio unexpectedly, wondering if they were Sora's friends, but said nothing to them.

"We assure you that Sora will be just fine here," Dr. Ansem said.

"Yes, Doctor, we know that Sora is in good hands. Please call as soon as anything happens," Sora Dad replied.

"I-I'll start sleeping over h-here r-right after we attend his friend's funeral," Sora's mom informed shakily.

"That's fine," the doctor replied.

"Please take good care of him," Sora's dad said.

"We will."

The couple departed and made their way to the elevator. Sora's mom looked back at the three teens again, particularly at Kairi. A chill went down Kairi's spine as she gazed into her watery eyes. They were the same as Sora's eyes, a deep azure. The pair went into the elevator and Kairi looked back at the doctor.

"Excuse me…?" she said shyly, but the doctor didn't' seem to hear her.

"Hey, Doc," Selphie called. Dr. Ansem looked at her. "We're here to see Sora Kamaya. Can we?"

"Go right ahead. But don't wake him up," he said, as if he assumed they were dumb enough to do that.

"Course not. Thanks," Selphie said, and the three of them entered the room with Selphie leading the way.

Kairi was last to enter, her heart racing. She felt as if her heart stopped when she saw Sora; he had bandages wrapped across his forehead, a pad on his right cheek and another that covered half of his right eye. There was a cut on his cracked lips that had already healed and the blanket was all the way up to the tip of his chin. Selphie whistled at the sight of him.

"He does look pretty banged up," she said. Riku stayed up against the wall with his arms crossed as he observed him. Kairi hesitantly went by the side of the bed to get a closer look. In spite of the damage done on his face, Kairi thought he looked like an angel that was just sleeping. She could hear the beating of her heart in her ears as she stared down at him, almost in denial that she was close enough to just touch him. Kairi's face felt warm; it all seemed surreal.

The moment was interrupted when Kairi heard Selphie chuckle. She looked up at her, wondering what was so funny.

"What now?" Riku said.

"She's blushing!" Selphie whispered. Kairi, who heard what she said, gasped and covered her cheeks.

"S-Selphie!" she whimpered in embarrassment. Selphie only ended up bursting out in laughter.

"HAHA! Why don't you go on ahead and kiss him!" she joshed. Kairi's eyes widened and her face only got redder as she was at a loss of words. Riku sighed and shook his head. "Aww, now she's blushing from ear-to-ear!" she hooted.

"For God's sake, Selphie. Stop teasing her already," Riku complained. Selphie tried to contain her laughter, but with no success. Riku looked at Kairi, who was too flustered to say anything back. "Just ignore her, Kai."

Kairi nodded and looked back at Sora. I wonder if he can hear all of this, she thought. Riku looked at his watch.

"It's almost noon. I think we have to go soon," Riku said.

"Huh? But we just got in here," Kairi said.

"Yeah, well… We would've had maybe 15 more minutes more if Riku and I weren't late, but Sora's parents would've killed our time anyway," Selphie said. "Remember that job I interviewed for? I got accepted and it's not good if I'm late the first day. And Riku here is our ride because our parents suck at not giving us cars."

Kairi looked at Riku, who just shrugged.

"We don't have to go now. We still have a little time," he said. Selphie thought for a minute then grinned.

"I know! How about Riku and I wait for you outside the room since this little trip here was all for you?" Selphie suggested.

"What?" Riku and Kairi chorused.

"Yeah! Isn't that a cute idea?" Selphie said. She walked over to Riku and grabbed his arm, dragging him out the door. "Come on, Riku!"

"W-wait…!" Kairi squeaked.

"H-hold a second…!" Riku said. "You didn't even wait for her response!"

"I don't have to," she said, and out the door they went, shutting it.

Kairi was at a loss of words. She looked back down at Sora, who was just lying there peacefully. She sat down in the chair next to him and exhaled deeply.

"I'm so sorry about that…" she said. "Wait, what am I saying? You can't hear me…"

Kairi gazed at his perfect complexion and blushed again. Covering her cheeks, she sighed and shook her head. She got up and thought for a moment.

"I… I'm sorry. We haven't formally met before," she began, "but we've been in the same schools for years since I moved to Destiny Island, which was ten or eleven years ago. I came from some place called Radiant Garden. That's from the mainland… pretty lame name for a town, huh? I hardly remember the place though."

She walked toward the window and looked outside. She could see Riku's car, a dark, sleek green. She looked back at Sora.

"Oh, yeah. Those guys that were just with me are my two best friends. I'm sure you know Riku already, but been friends with me ever since so we're kind of like childhood friends. We met Selphie in 5th grade when she moved from Balamb Garden, and ever since then we've become this trio…" she watched him just lie in bed as if there would be any kind of response. "Wow, if you were to wake up right now, I bet you'd freak out. We really don't know each other…" She scratched her head and chuckled as if to laugh at her foolishness. "Oh, I'm sorry. I haven't told you my name. I'm—"

Suddenly the door opened; it was Riku.

"Kairi," he called out, "We're going."

Selphie butted in.

"No, don't listen to him! He's just jealous!" she said.

"Selphie!" he irately said. "I'm not jealous! We really have to go now."

Kairi giggled. "I'm coming," she said. She looked back at Sora and waved. "Bye, Sora." And with that she made her way toward the door.

"Did you just say 'bye' to him?" Selphie winked.

"Uh…"

"Hahahaha! You did, you did!"

"Give it a rest, Selphie."

"Hahahaha! She's blushing again!"

Rings of laughter and chatter soon started to fade as the voices became less and less distant. Sora remained motionless until his lips started to move.

"Kairi…" he murmured.

* * *

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**A/N:** Hah, that chapter felt long. Sorry if it felt too dragged out. That was mostly all information through dialogue, so this is just the beginning. ;D Yep. It's three in the morning and I have school tomorrow. But yeah! Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it.

AND REVIEW PLEASE:D

Tell me what you think about this!

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	2. A Misunderstanding

**Daydreams in Summertime**

**A/N:** Chapter two, yaaaaay! I'm sorry for the long update. This school year's busy. X.x Also, in case some of you didn't know, Leon from KH2 is Squall from FFVIII. I prefer to call him "Squall" instead of "Leon" in this fic because it sounds cooler. XB

**Disclaimers: 1.)** I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy, not any of its characters and setting. That's is copyrighted to Squaresoft. **2.)** I did not make up the song "Play Ball," (AKA "track six") as it is written and sung by Utada Hikaru and produce by… Toshiba-Emi records, I think? **3.)** And the most important one of all – **I am not a doctor nor do I study anything in the medical field. **Sure, I did a little research to make this fic more realistic, but **just because I have included things about amnesia, the fugue state and D.I.D. does not necessarily mean that the info I provide in this fanfic is accurate.** If you want to know more about this kind of stuff, ask a doctor or an expert… because I have no concrete knowledge on this stuff and I have no background in the medical career. Besides, I just got most of the information on google and wikipedia dot com. -.-

Thank you for your time – READ ON!

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**Chapter Two – A Misunderstanding**

"_YES! Junior year over and finished with!" Selphie cheered, "It's vacation time – WOOOOHH! God, I love the last days of school! Goodbye homework, hello Destiny Island beaches!" She jumped up and down and skipped ahead of Riku and Kairi as they exited the school._

"_Geez, calm down," Riku said. "We have beaches on all sides of this island. They're nothing that special."_

_Selphie stopped and turn around. "Oh pish! You guys have lived here for nearly all your lives! I grew up in a place with endless field everywhere with crap-beaches that aren't as lush and tropical here!"_

"_Oh, Selphie," Kairi chuckled, "You've lived here for more than three years already, haven't you?"_

"_Exactly," Riku said, "You think she'd get used to salty air by now."_

"_Oh, stop complaining!" Selphie replied, "I plan to get a tan this summer. You can just go ahead and stay pale since you're boring and stay inside all the time!"_

"_What did you say!" Riku growled. Selphie laughed and ran farther away to hide behind a coconut tree. Riku sighed, but Kairi chuckled softly._

"_Don't mind her, Riku. She's just the teasing-type. She doesn't mean it," she said._

"_Yeah, yeah, I know, but I intend to think that she means every word she says anyway," he replied. Kairi laughed sheepishly, but then brushed it off with a warm smile. Riku smiled back, his facing turning a little pink but Kairi didn't notice. Before Riku could say anything, Kairi suddenly stopped short when she heard two familiar voices._

"_What's wrong?" Riku asked, but Kairi didn't answer. Instead, her gaze was locked onto something – or rather, someone. Riku turned to see Sora and Namine hugging and talking to each other; they looked a little sad. Kairi assumed it was because the end of school meant that Namine would have to go away soon._

"_I'll miss you so much," Namine said. She looked up at Sora and kissed him on the lips – Kairi's heart stopped and the spout of jealousy she had quickly diminished and turned into waves of aching sadness and yearning. All of a sudden, Riku grabbed her forearm without a word and started to drag her to where Selphie was, leading her away from the scene. Kairi looked back, but by then they weren't kissing any longer._

"_Stop looking," Riku told her, and Kairi obediently looked forward, only to see Selphie climbing down from the coconut tree with a coconut in her hand._

"_Hey, guys! Look what I got!" she called out, holding up her coconut proudly as if it were a trophy._

"_What the heck were you doing?" Riku asked. He released Kairi, and she automatically glanced behind her; Sora and Namine were already walking away as they both held hands._

"_What does it look like? I got a coconut! Good thing I wore spandex under my skirt today!" she said. Riku shook his head and shrugged, then worriedly looked at Kairi who just stared at the ground._

"_I'll drive you home, Kairi," Riku said softly. Kairi looked up and nodded graciously._

"_Thanks, Riku," she said._

"_Hey!" Selphie hollered, "I need a ride home too, you know!"_

"_And we'll bring the monkey and her coconut too," he added._

"_What did you say!" Selphie retorted. Riku laughed as she lightly hit Riku on the shoulder with her coconut. Kairi laughed along with them, happy to know that her friends would always be there to cheer her up. They went their way toward the school parking lot. "Hey, why do we all have to go home? Let's party at Perly's and hang out!"_

"_You mean that icecream place that opened up last month?" Kairi recalled._

"_Yeah, I hear their icecream's mad bangin'!" Selphie replied._

"_HAHA. Bangin'? Did you just say bangin'?" Riku asked. Selphie only laughed in response. The three of them merrily went into Riku's car, headed toward Perly's._

- --- -

Kairi's eyes shot opened as a series of ear-splitting beeps rang from her alarm clock. Groaning, she brought her hand down hard on the clock's "stop" button to shut it up, only letting the fan's constant humming continue on. She looked at the time – it was 9 in the morning. She laid in bed for 10 minutes before really waking up as the fan by her bed kept her hair out of her face.

Hmm… a dream of the past, she thought. Yawning, she rolled out of bed and out of her room, not bothering to change out of her big shirt and shorts. She knocked on her brother's door, as she already knew it was locked.

"Squaaall," she called out. "Squall, are you up?" No response. "Can I use your car?"

"No," he replied, his voice muffled from behind the door.

"Please?" she insisted, "I'll come right back home after I'm done. It'll be really quick."

There was a long pause before the door was unlocked. Squall opened it, appearing to be only in his boxers with messed up hair. He put his finger up to his lips.

"Shh." Squall pointed at his bed and there, Kairi saw some girl in his bed under the covers, probably naked. Kairi gave her older brother a surprised, disgusted and discontented look. "She's sleeping," he said.

"You're gross!" she whispered back, wondering how their dad, who was already at work by the time, could stay oblivious to this.

"I thought you liked Rinoa," he said. "I don't want you driving my car. Where are you going?"

"To the hospital," she said, "Unless you want to drop me off there again, but I wouldn't have a ride back this time."

"Who are you visiting again?" he asked skeptically.

"I told you yesterday – my friend who got into a car accident."

Squall thought for a moment as he stared back at her suspiciously. He sighed and retreated back into his room. The door was left opened, but Kairi dared not to go in knowing her brother's girlfriend was sleeping naked in there. Shortly after, Squall came back with his car keys in hand.

"Come back as soon as possible," he instructed, handing her the keys. A big smile spread across Kairi's face as she held his keys graciously.

"Thank you!" she said, and she went back to her room to change. She put on a simple pink tee and white Capri's, grabbed her purse, and trotted down the stairs after briefly thanking her brother again. After brushing her hair and without even bothering to eat first, she was already out the door.

She hopped in her brother's red car and, putting her purse on the passenger's seat, she inserted the key in the ignition and turned on the engine. The music turned on and right away Kairi recognized it – Utada Hikaru's "Deep River" album. It was the beginning of track six; although Kairi wasn't really into listening to music in different languages, she liked the melody of the intro and decided to keep the song playing. She changed the gears into drive mode and made her way toward the hospital.

- --- - --- - --- - --- - --- - --- - --- - --- - --- - --- -

Kairi anxiously approached the hospital room where Sora was as she walked through the wide hallway; she was alone now without the presence of Riku and Selphie, who always stuck with her. Kairi sighed at the fact that the two of them were able to handle things fine on their own while she was always the shy one that had no backbone. She wondered if perhaps that was what naturally happens when a girl grows up with two protective older brothers.

Before she went in, she heard someone talking inside the room. It was a male voice, different from Dr. Ansem and Sora's dad. If she heard correctly, the voice had a Besaid accent. She peeked in to see someone standing at the foot of Sora's bed – he was tan with orange hair that stood upward with a blue headband that crowned around his head. He was tall and his protruding hairdo made him look taller. She gasped and drew her head back, realizing that it was Sora's other best friend, Wakka. She looked right and left as if she were looking for a place to hide.

_Wait a minute, chill out,_ she thought to herself. _Maybe Wakka doesn't know me and think I'm his cousin or something._ She waited outside near the door, thinking if maybe this would become a tradition each time she'd visit.

"I'm sorry, man, but I don't think you'll wake up soon enough to see me off at the airport," Wakka said from inside the room. "I'll be takin' off to the Besaid tomorrow mornin'… Man, this sucks… I can't even go to Tidus' funeral this weekend. I can't believe he's gone, you know? Us three, we were best friends…"

_Oh, thank God I'm not the only one who talks to unconscious people,_ she thought to herself. Realizing that she was listening-in on Wakka's personal talk with the unconscious Sora, Kairi hit her forehead for accidentally eavesdropping again.

"Hey, Sora," Wakka continued, "When I get back here, you better not be stuck in depression."

Silence met Kairi's ears after that. Before she could peek into the room, Wakka came out and stopped short when he saw Kairi. She stared back puzzled at his surprised expression. Why was he so taken aback?

"Uh… aren't you Kairi?" he asked. Kairi bit her lip nervously.

"Y-yes," she warily replied.

"Oh. Too bad he's not awake to see _this_," he thought aloud as he held his chin. Kairi tilted her head confusedly.

"What?" she asked.

"Oh, nothin'," he replied with a big grin. "You a friend of 'is?" He gestured his thumb to the room, probably suggesting that he meant Sora.

"I—I guess," she responded timidly. Suddenly, Wakka placed his large hand upon Kairi's head, her posture automatically stiffened as he playfully ruffled her hair neatly combed hair. Frozen from shock, she didn't fight back but gave him a bewildered look after he was done. "W-what was _that_ ?" she cried as she frantically, trying to put her hair in place again. He let out a booming laugh.

"Hey, you _are_ pretty cute!" he decided. Completely lost, Kairi could only stare back at him, half-traumatized. She didn't even know him, and here he was playing mind-games on her. "Oh, what's wrong? I'm not THAT scary, am I?" he smirked. "Well, I gotta get goin'. See you 'round, Kairi!" And with that, he left. Still in shock and utter confusion, she just stood there, not knowing what the heck to think.

"R-right…" she mumbled.

Kairi hurriedly went in Sora's room, too weirded out (**a/n:** "weirded" isn't a word, but that's okay) to feel nervous about seeing him alone anymore. There, she saw Sora in the same position with all bandages still in place. Nothing obvious has changed from yesterday.

"Sora," she called out, "You've got such bizarre friends." She sat down in the chair next to him. "I'm sorry – I heard what he was saying… how he was going to Besaid this summer. I didn't mean to overhear. But the first thing I thought was that I was grateful that I wasn't the only person who's talked to you while you're out cold." She chuckled at herself then sighed. She looked at him, his cheek looking as if it were nearly consumed by the white linen pad – he must've had a huge opened wound there. Before she began to talk again, she heard footsteps come into the room. A female figure appeared next to her, and Kairi immediately looked and stood up.

It was Sora's mom.

"Ah… I…" Kairi was at a loss of words, only retrieving nothing from her blank thoughts as she tried to think up of some kind of explanation. Sora's mother was relatively young, her brown hair tied up in a high-ponytail and dressed in a blue dress with purple flowers that graced the collar and skirt. She looked stressed, and her eyes showed that she had no sleep. She spoke first.

"Excuse me, but are you…" she hesitated. "Are you Sora's girlfriend?"

"Huh?" Kairi, again, was at a loss of words. "Um, I think – I m-mean, I'm actually, uh—"

"Oh, it's alright," she said, giving her a strained smile. "You don't have to hide it from us anymore. Just minutes ago, Wakka's mother told me about you."

"W-what?"

"Yes," she confirmed, "It's… Namine, right? I saw you yesterday – you waited for us to finish our time with Sora. That was very considerate of you… thank you for that." Kairi only gave her a baffled look, her vocal chords paralyzed from not knowing what to do or say. Sora's mom switched her gaze toward her son. "Sora… he never really opened up to me. He never told me anything… w-we always argue about little th-things… I-I'm sure you heard from yesterday, but…"

"M-ma'am!" Kairi squeaked. Sora's mom looked at her with eyes filled with sadness and worry over her son. A chill ran down Kairi's spine from gazing into those eyes similair to Sora's. "I—I-I'm s-s-sorry! I—I'm so very—really, truly—b-but—!" she stuttered.

"I'm sorry for interrupting…" said a low voice. Kairi and Sora's mother turned to see Dr. Ansem. "…But I must speak with Mrs. Kamaya. So, Mrs. Kamaya, if you would please step out here…"

"Oh! Y-yes…" she replied. Kairi gawked at Dr. Ansem with agonizingly distressed signals as if to ask him 'Why in God's name did you interrupt me you wicked spawn of Satan?' but Dr. Ansem failed to notice the indication.

Kairi turned back to Sora as he laid in bed, seemingly without a care in the world. She groaned and cursed under her breath, and Kairi never cursed unless she really meant it. She frenetically looked around as if she'd find any kind of solution to this matter. _Great! Now she think I'm Namine!_ Kairi looked in her purse and grabbed her cellphone to call Selphie or Riku for help. When she flipped it opened, her heart dropped – her phone was dead.

"Crap!" she whispered. She stuffed her cellphone back in her bag and placed it on the chair. She bit her lip and nervously looked out the door, seeing that Sora's mom was still talking to the doctor. Her heart was racing, pumping furiously; she didn't know what to do and had difficulty keeping calm – when suddenly…

"…uuh…"

Someone groaned. Kairi looked at Sora; she froze.

"Ugh…" Sora garbled, barely able to move. He cringed in pain with his eyes tightly shut as if he had difficulty opening them. Finally, his eyelids peeked opened until his blue eyes were visible. He looked up at Kairi with half opened eyes, his pupils a little red, but still had a captivating stare. Kairi could only gape back in denial.

"S-Sora…" she said, "Sora's awake! Sora's awake!"

Sora's mom and Dr. Ansem rushed into the room right away.

"Sora?" his mom cried. "Sora! My baby's awake!" She nearly fell on her knees crying as she leaned over the bed. Kairi stepped back to give her room, but noticed that Sora lacked any sort of emotional reaction – just lethargy and a blank gaze. It was only a matter of seconds before Sora's mom started to sob uncontrollably. "You're okay! My son is alright!" she chanted.

"How are you feeling, Sora?" Dr. Ansem asked. Sora only looked back at Dr. Ansem with a puzzled, groggy expression, unsure whether he was being spoken to or not. "I said, how are you feeling?" he repeated.

"…Where am I?" he asked. His head was throbbing as he winced in pain but was for some reason unable to lift his arm up without struggling. He tried to get up, only to painfully fall back on the pillow.

"No! You must rest, don't get up," Mrs. Kamaya pleaded. Sora groaned in agony; Kairi clutched onto her purse, wishing she could do something to ease his suffering.

"Your body must be sore, so don't move for now," Dr. Ansem said. "You've also experienced a small blow to the head – painful, but it's nothing serious."

"It's alright, Sora, I'm here for you," Mrs. Kamaya told him, caressing his cheek. Sora only gave her a perplexed look.

"…Who are you?" he asked. Kairi, Dr. Ansem and Mrs. Kamaya paused; time seemed to stop with a deafening silence.

"W-what?" his mom asked. "Sora, what did you…?"

"Sora…?" he repeated, "That's not my name… my name's…" he trailed off, giving himself a moment to remember his name. Suddenly, a blunt, aching tremor gave way in his head and he flinched and moaned. He strained to move his hand up to his temple, his fingertips barely touching the bandage that covered his forehead. Sora slowly opened his eyes again to look at his mother who seemed just as confused as he was but then saw Kairi behind her, their eyes meeting for the second time. Suddenly, he hand fell on his chest and his muscles went limp.

"Sora? Sora!" his mom cried.

"It's alright, he just fell asleep," Dr. Ansem assured.

Kairi felt like her guts were churning, wondering what had just happened.

"What happened, doctor? Why doesn't my son remember me?" Mrs. Kamaya demanded. Dr. Ansem went over to Sora and placed his hand on his head and neck to check for his temperature, then checked Sora's pulse and breathing. When all seemed clear, Dr. Ansem took a step back and held his chin.

"Perhaps, some form of amnesia," he thought.

"What?" said Mrs. Kamaya and Kairi in unison.

"However, I cannot diagnose anything until he wakes up again," Dr. Ansem explained. "He just happened to show symptoms of amnesia. Then again, depending on what kind of amnesia, maybe a minor retrograde, he may be able to already remember things the next time he wakes up. I highly doubt it to be anterograde amnesia."

"…Huh?" Kairi mumbled. She and Mrs. Kamaya merely stared back at him as he continued to hold his chin in wonder, unable to reciprocate anything he had just said.

"Doctor, I have no clue what you are saying!" Mrs. Kamaya yelled.

"Oh! Yes, excuse me," he said. He cleared his throat before beginning. "Anterogradeamnesia… is when new events are not transferred to long-term memory, so the individual will not be able to remember anything that occurs _after_ the beginning of this type of amnesia for more than a few moments – Just think of it as a bad case of short-term memory loss. And so in contrast, there is retrograde amnesia, where someone won't be able to recall events that occurred before the start of the amnesia. In other words, if Sora here had retrograde amnesia, he would not remember anything before the accident – not where he was going, not why, nothing."

"S-so my baby has this retrograde amnesia?" Mrs Kamaya asked.

"Well, no, that's not the case," Dr. Ansem said. "Traumatic amnesia is when the cause is generally due to head injury. The duration of the amnesia is related to the degree of injury and may give an indication of the prediction for recovery of other functions. Mild trauma, like perhaps the car accident he was in, could have just resulted in no more than mild whiplash that might cause him to have no memory of the moments just before the accident. This is due to a brief interruption in the short or long-term memory transfer mechanism." Dr. Ansem looked at Sora. "However, Sora's head injury shouldn't be so bad as to give him amnesia, and he doesn't seem to have any signs of whiplash."

"So, what's wrong with him, doctor?" Sora's mom asked.

"I said already, I can't diagnose anything until he wakes up again," the doctor replied. "We'll find out in due time. I'm sure he'll be back to normal again when he's back. To have serious retrograde amnesia, he would have to have something lodged in his head, in which would require operation. Fortunately for him, our x-ray scans hold no evidence of anything penetrating through his skull. But for now, I can't guarantee you anything."

Mrs. Kamaya switched glances between Dr. Ansem and her son. Biting her lip, tears started to form in her eyes. Kairi bit her lip, feeling concern and sorry for Sora's mother. She also still felt a little clueless, as she had absorbed only half of what the doctor just said.

"Doctor," a nurse said from outside the room, her head poking in, "You're needed on floor number three."

"Excuse me, I must leave," the doctor said, stating the obvious. "I'll assign another nurse to look out for his recovery every so often as soon as I can." And with that, Dr. Ansem left the room.

Kairi sighed, concluding that Dr. Ansem was some kind of great rambling doctor that could rant for hours until end. She switched glances with Mrs. Kamaya and they both smiled awkwardly at each other.

"I'm sorry that you had to see me like this…" Mrs. Kamaya apologized.

"Oh, no, it's not a problem!" Kairi said. "Really, it isn't…"

Mrs. Kamaya got up from her knees and started to tuck Sora in, back to his original position. Kairi immediately went to the other side of the bed and helped her tuck him in. She looked up at the teen in surprise then nodded graciously.

"Thank you, dear… you're so polite," she complimented.

"N-no, that's not true…" Kairi denied. After the two of them made sure that Sora was snug under the blanket, Kairi reached into her purse and took her cellphone out the check the time, but then remembered that it was dead.

"You know…" Mrs. Kamaya began, "When Wakka's mother told me that Sora had a girlfriend, I was wondering what she would be like. I never would've dreamed she would be so modest." Kairi laughed guiltily then looked down to avoid eye contact. Mrs. Kamaya spoke again before Kairi was able to muster up the courage to tell her that she wasn't Namine. "Surprisingly, his mother told me that Wakka claimed that you made Sora go into an exclusive relationship, and they weren't able to hang out as much because of it. I got a little worried hearing it but now that I've met you, I feel like that maybe it was Sora's fault for cutting off his friends."

"No! It's not Sora's fault…" Kairi said, naturally defending Sora's actions. _Knowing that Riku went out with her, I bet Namine's only comfortable with exclusive relationships…_

"Oh, don't say it's _your_ fault, dear," Mrs. Kamaya replied. Kairi wanted to hit herself for forgetting that she was 'Namine' in his mother's eyes. "You seem social enough to let my son do his own thing."

"Yes, but…" Kairi thought of a moment as to how to reply. Mrs. Kamaya looked at her wristwatch.

"It's almost lunchtime… care to join me for lunch?" his mother asked.

_Lunchtime?_ Kairi thought. "I'm sorry, but I have to be somewhere right now."

"Oh, do you?" she said. "Alright. Go ahead and do your errand."

"Thank you, ma'am," Kairi bowed. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Mrs. Kamaya."

"The pleasure I mine," Mrs. Kamaya asked. "And just call me Rin."

"Um, okay… Well, see you." Kairi made her way out the door, finally finding an escape from the awkwardness.

"Wait!" Rin called out. Kairi stopped and turned. "Thank you for being here, Namine…"

Kairi only stared back nervously, hesitating to take action a she saw this as an opportunity to correct Sora's mother about her identity._ Come on! Just say, ' oh, about that ma'am, I'm sorry. I'm not Namine, and I'm not Sora's girlfriend,' _she thought, urging herself. Kairi finally forced herself to open her mouth in reply.

"You're welcome," she mumbled.

And with great regret she left.

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**a/n:** I was going to make the chapter longer, but I think this is fine. X.x Again, sorry for the long wait. I hope Dr. Ansem's speech didn't bore you. TT-TT

ALSO. In case you didn't read the disclaimer up above (Which I hope you did, or just disclaimer #3 at least), the Utada Hikaru song that's playing in Squall's car, aka "Track Number 6"? That's the song called "Play Ball". Yes, it is a significant element in the chapter… then again maybe I should have used it in chapter three. O.o;

**Replies**

Mr. Emma Watson / SoraxKairi RoxasxNamine – Thanks for being the first to review. :) I'll read your fic soon!

Angelofsweetness – Aw, I'm happy that you like the first chapter. I was worried if it was too boring. Thanks for reading!

Wingless-Fairy – Thanks for that, I'm glad you think this is good. :) Sorry I made you wait too long for chapter two. :( But I will update as soon as I can!

Gray-Rain Skies – Yeah, it is a Sora/Kairi fic, but with much tragedy in it. ;D But that won't be until later in the story (near the end of the story and mostly in the sequel). Hohoho! Also, with Namine and Riku… Hmm. I think that's a cute couple as well, but Roxas is actually going to be in this fic too, and you know what that mean Roxas/Namine. X.x Then again, Roxas won't be coming until the sequel, so you never know! Maybe I'll change my mind about it. ;)

Jupiter-Lightning – Aw, thanks for taking the time to read and review! XD I'm sorry I put the other fic on hiatus. TT-TT But I'll revive it when I can, I promise!

Aaaand **– REVIEW PLEASE**. Give me your thoughts and ideas because they help muchos! TT-TT


	3. The Coverup

**Daydreams in Summertime**

**A/N:** OH. MY GOD. THERE IS A RIDICULOUS AMOUNT OF TYPOS AND ERRORS IN THE LAST CHAPTERS… but I'm too lazy to fix them. -.- Thanks to all of my readers and reviewers for reading my fic! Keep the reviews coming – I like knowing your thoughts and I love hearing feedback. It helps a lot too! And sorry for the late update – there was a minor setback about a "medically error" I had to deal with in this chapter. That, and Junior year sucks.

Oh, and in case you didn't know, _Perly's _(that icecream place in the flashback in chapter two) is, like, equivalent to Cold Stone and Baskin Robin's put together, for those of you who live in an area where they have those places. Cold Stone's got some _bangin'_ icecream. ;D

So yeah! Here's chapter three – waddup!

**Disclaimers:**

**1.)** I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy, not any of its characters and setting. That's copyrighted to Squaresoft.

**2.)** Um, Perly's isn't a real place, so please don't go out looking for it. XD

**3.)** And the most important one of all – **I am not a doctor nor do I study anything in the medical field. **Sure, I did a little research to make this fic more realistic, but **just because I have included things about amnesia, the fugue state and whatever does not necessarily mean that the info I provide in this fanfic is accurate.** If you want to know more about this kind of stuff, ask a doctor or an expert… because I have no concrete knowledge on this stuff and I have no background in the medical career.

KTHXREAD.

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**Chapter Three – The Coverup**

It was a sunny midday with a warm gentle breeze, typical weather for the tropical environment of Destiny Islands. Within a few blocks away from the shore, a small building with a red roof stood between fast food restaurants and convenience stores. Above the entrance stood a sign with big, loopy letters that read _Perly's_. Through the glass window, Kairi sat with Riku and Selphie with a cup of icecream and a spoon in her hand. They were in the middle of a conversation.

"And what's worse, she thinks I'm Namine!" Kairi said.

"WHAT?" Selphie exclaimed. Riku, who was in the middle of slurping his coolatta, suddenly stopped and choked on it, then started coughing his lungs out. Kairi lightly pat Riku's back with an apologetic look.

"S-sorry," she said to him.

"Geez, Kairi. I didn't actually MEAN it when I said you should be Namine's replacement. Or did you really take that seriously?" Selphie said with a laugh.

"B-but I didn't even mean to be Namine…!" Kairi replied. Riku spoke after he cleared his throat.

"How in the hell did she ever mistake you for _Namine? _That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard," Riku said.

"B-but, Mrs. Kamaya didn't even know Sora had a girlfriend at all. She just happen to find out right before we met," Kairi explained. "I mean, seeing me visit Sora for the a second time alone, of course she would've mistaken me for Namine."

"Actually, I'm more surprised that you actually went to see him again _by yourself_," Selphie said as she held her chin. "I mean, forget about Sora's mom mistaking you for Namine! You're a cute girl anyway which automatically makes you 'girlfriend-worthy'… but Kairi? Being able to have the guts to go see Sora _alone_? Could it be that you're finally spreading your wings, Kairi!" Selphie exclaimed. She hugged Kairi's head, her cheek pressed against Selphie neck as she let out inaudible muffles. Riku sighed at Selphie mellow-dramatic burst of joy.

"Oh, Kairi! You're finally coming out of your shell! Finally growing up and able to stand up to the world!" Selphie cried with a big grin. Kairi's head squirmed out of her death-grip, finally getting some air.

"S-selphie…!" she said, embarrassed to see other people staring. Selphie finally let go of her and snickered.

"Whatever," Riku said as he nonchalantly sipped his coolatta, although was probably more embarrassed to be seen with Selphie at all. "So, Miss Big-and-Independent-Kairi, I hope you told Sora's mom that you weren't Namine."

"Um…" Kairi looked down at her melting strawberry shortcake icecream, almost forgetting that it was still there. Riku noticed this and stared intently at her, expecting the worst.

"…Didn't you?" Riku asked. Selphie switched glances between Riku and Kairi and gasped.

"KAIRI!" Selphie yelled, loud enough to make Kairi jump. She looked up at her, stunned from the sudden outburst, then glanced ruefully at the other table. "No! Don't tell us…! Did you… You told her, didn't you? Or—…or did you not?"

Kairi gulped before shaking her head solemnly.

"N-no…" she squeaked. "I… I didn't tell her."

Selphie's jaw literally dropped, her eyes widened like a pair of saucers.

"_K-Kairi_…!" she uttered. For once, she had no comeback or snide comment and thus she realized that Kairi hadn't overcome her shyness as much as she thought. Riku put his hand up to his forehead and sighed.

"I knew it…" he mumbled.

"I'm sorry…" Kairi said. With her hands rested on her lap, she clutched the hem of her denim skirt and stared at its creases and folds. "I really wanted to tell her, but she kept going on and on about how nice I was and… I… I screwed up…" Her head drooped even more forward, but Riku caught her forehead and pushed her head back up. She looked at him with her head tilt, wondering why he did that. Riku pointed to her icecream.

"Your head was about to fall into your icecream," he said. A ring of laughter came from Selphie as she doubled over, getting another good stare from the other table of people. Riku stayed calm as usually, finishing off his coolatta. Kairi blushed, not even bothering to look back at them again, but they seemed to be leaving.

"Haa…! Kairi, you're too cute," Selphie said. "But, seriously! Why didn't you tell us the day this happened? Why tell us _three days _after? I'm here six days a week now, so we could've talked about it then."

"I didn't see you guys that day… and yesterday and the day before that, I guess I just didn't feel like bringing it up," Kairi explained as she finally took a scoop of her icecream.

"B-but why!" Selphie exclaimed. Kairi shrugged, not knowing how to respond. Riku sighed knowing that Kairi wasn't the bravest girl when it came to confrontation. He tried to remain calm to make things easier for her.

"So you're here six times a week, huh?" Riku said to Selphie, changing the subject. "Weren't you the one planning to get a beach tan as soon as summer vacation began?"

"Yeah – but the icecream here is the best and they needed new employees anyway! And the girl who's at the cash register right now…" Selphie gestured at her with her thumb, a girl with longer, darker brown hair than Selphie's, "…her name is Olette, and she's super nice! She lets me slack off when you guys are around. And can you believe we both have the same hair and eye color? She's like the future, prettier me when I'll be in college!"

"And here you are now, a unproductive Perly's employee who scares away the costumers," Riku invoiced.

"Whatever, man! You're just jealous because I have a job and you don't." She turned to Kairi, "Kairi, why don't you get a job here too? You can impress your older brothers by getting your first job through _me_," she winked.

"No, I'm alright," Kairi replied as she finished up her icecream.

"Why would they be impressed?" Riku asked.

"Cause then they'd see that Kairi's got an older sister outside of the family who takes such good care of her!" Selphie said as she pat Kairi's head. "Because sometimes Kairi's just a lost kitten in this big, ugly world."

"Selphie!" Olette called out from the cash register, "We have customers coming!"

"I'm on it!" Selphie responded enthusiastically. She got up from the chair and put her Perly's working cap back on then trotted off toward Olette. Kairi thought Selphie looked cute in her work attire, which was only a red apron and cap that both had the same loopy _Perly's_ text on it.

"So…" Riku began as he set his empty coolatta cup to the side. "When you went to the hospital, you first saw Wakka, but Sora's mom comes in when he leaves… aside from the fact that Sora's mom thinks your Namine, what else happened?"

"Oh, that's right!" Kairi said with excitement, glad that her visit the other day wasn't a complete disaster. "Sora woke up! But he looked like he was in pain and he was really tired, so I think he went back to sleep."

"Uh… oh," Riku said. "That's good, I guess. But wait, isn't that bad?"

"Huh?"

"You know. If Sora's awake now, don't you think his mom would tell him that she met you – or, 'Namine' rather?"

"Actually, when he woke up he didn't seem to remember anything," she added.

"_What_? Amnesia?"

"Just for that moment, I think. I can't remember exactly what the doctor said since I hardly understood anything he explained to us, but I'm sure he said that he should be able to remember everything the next time he wakes up…" she explained. "I don't know how that works, but the doctor said he shouldn't have such bad amnesia."

"Oh. Well, that still doesn't change anything."

Kairi bit her lip and looked in another direction, unable to look directly at Riku's stern expression.

"What do I do…?" Kairi asked nervously.

"Go to the hospital and straighten things out. Explain to them it was just a misunderstanding and that you didn't mean to cause any confusion," he instructed. "I'm sure his mom would understand. Sora would probably forgive you too, since he's a sucker for shy girls."

"What?" Kairi replied with shock.

"Yeah," Riku confirmed. "Trust me, we've been in the same Blitzball team for years. Not only do guys talk about chicks in the locker room but all of Sora's past girlfriends were always shy little girls with no confidence whatsoever."

"Uh…" Kairi looked at Selphie, who was making shakes for the incoming customers. She recalled what her best friend said, how she was like a lost kitten with a lack of direction. "Do you think _I'm_ like that…?" Riku looked at her unexpectedly. "Am I just one of those shy girls?"

"You're different," Riku replied. "You've got _us_ to help you out. Those girls are just clueless and they're searching for an arm to hang onto. They just end up finding Sora's… I don't know why his relationships don't last as long though."

"So, I'm just dependent on you guys," Kairi said.

"Kairi… that's not it. We're just helping you out because we want the best for you," he said softly. "But this is something different. You're caught in a complicated predicament, and sometimes people can't handle those kinds of problems on their own. We _are_ just human after all, right?"

Kairi nodded graciously, a smile spreading from cheek to cheek.

"Thanks, Riku…" she said, facing him. Riku look back at her sweet smile; she was short in comparison to his height and if he were to lean just a little bit more toward her, his lips would meet her forehead. The thought of it made him shudder. "You really are like a third brother to me. Mine don't really care for me like you do."

Riku looked away, only to see his coolatta cup, empty and disregarded. "No… problem," he muttered. Riku stood up from his chair. "You should go to the hospital now. I can't go with you, I have blitzball practice."

"And Selphie has to stay here and work," Kairi said. "I—I have to do this alone?"

"Sorry," he said, taking the cup. "But maybe it's best if you do. See? You're not totally dependent."

Kairi took her purse and also got up when Riku made his way toward Selphie. They saw her give the customers their shakes and icecream.

"Oh? More customers?" Selphie said as the two of them approached her. Riku threw away the empty cup in the nearby garbage.

"I need another coolatta," he said. He turned to Kairi. "I thought you were going."

"Yeah, in a little…"

"Go now," he said.

"Go where?" Selphie asked.

"The hospital," Riku and Kairi said in unison. "So Kairi can straighten things out with Sora's mom," Riku continued.

"Oh! Good," Selphie endorsed. "Well, get going! Unless you want a smoothie for the road?"

"No, I'm good…" she replied.

"Well then, get out of my store!" Selphie advised cheerfully. Kairi chuckled and nodded. "Report back to us as soon as possible."

"Okay…" Kairi said.

"And don't be nervous, Kai," Riku said.

"I'll try…"

They said their goodbyes and Kairi left. The two remaining persons of the trio watched her as she drove her brother's car toward the hospital.

- --- - --- - --- -

Kairi approached the familiar hospital room anxiously, exhaling deeply and grasping the edge of her mini-skirt. The goosebumps on her legs would have been visible if it weren't for the black spandex she wore that extended all the way down to her calves. She looked inside to see Sora's mom, Rin, inside and talking to Sora. She assumed Sora was awake, unless Rin also enjoyed talking to unconscious people; she didn't however seem very happy. Rin spotted Kairi outside the door; she told Sora to wait for a moment and went toward Kairi. The teen held her breath in anticipation.

"Namine, I'm so glad to see you," Rin greeted with a seemingly forced smile. "It's nice to know that you're starting to visit on a daily basis…"

"B-but… I didn't visit for two days," Kairi replied.

"Oh, that's alright… But, about that… I'm actually glad that you didn't come for those two days," she said. Kairi tiled her head in question, and Rin noticing this decided to explain. "Well yesterday when he woke up, he still had amnesia."

"Huh? Why? I thought the doctor said…"

"I know, even the doctor was a little surprised. This is an unexpected turn of events, but they're trying to find out why as we speak," she said. Kairi didn't know whether to think of the news as a good thing or a bad thing. Frankly, she didn't know what to think at all. "Yesterday wasn't pretty… and it wasn't just because he didn't remember anything. He's in total denial about the whole thing – he doesn't believe he has amnesia."

"_What—?_ But how? If he can't remember anything, then why would he think that?"

"Well, it is true," she began sadly, "that he doesn't remember anything about his past… but instead, he remembers these weird things that never happened!"

"W-what…?"

"It's as if he replaced his old memories with new ones, like he formed a new identity! He said something about an orphanage and foster parents – he's just not acting like the Sora I know! Namine, he doesn't want to talk to me…!" Rin started to break down into tears and Kairi put her hand on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her, not really knowing how to handle the situation. The young girl wasn't accustomed to console, let alone console a full gown woman in tears. Regardless, Kairi tried to remain calm. "Namine, I don't know what to do anymore… it's like my own son is disowning me – I mean, we didn't have the greatest of mother-son relationships, but… I don't understand! We didn't adopt him or anything…!"

"I-it's okay…! Things will be fine…" Kairi reassured, although she wasn't exactly positive it was true. But what else could she have said rather than joining her in her turmoil? Rin wiped her tear away, trying to regain her posture.

"I'm sorry that you have to see me in this state… how embarrassing."

"It's okay. No one can blame you…" Kairi let go of her shoulder to give her more space. Now she was caught in an even more complicated circumstance, realizing there were bigger issues than being mistaken for Namine.

"I'm supposed to be leaving for work now, but my husband hasn't arrive," Rin said. She looked at the young girl contemplatively. Kairi noticed the look in her eyes and anticipated for the worst. "Namine dear, thank you for tolerating me… but I need to ask you one more favor. Is it too much to ask if you were to stay with Sora until my husband gets here?"

"_H-huh?_"

"I'm sure Sora would enjoy your company as much as you would enjoy his," she added.

"But he won't remember me either," Kairi replied.

"Oh, but he remembers you from two days ago. Do you remember the first time he woke up? You were in the room, too. And don't worry about explaining who you are to him – I already told him that you're his significant other." Kairi's heart dropped but she shoved her displeasure aside, reminding herself that there were bigger problems to be solved at the moment. "But when I told him that, that's when he shut me out… I'm sorry dear, but will you? Maybe he'll listen to you…" Kairi saw the desperate look in the woman's eyes and then finally nodded reluctantly, not knowing what to expect next.

"Alright," she said. Rin, who was very much relieved, thank Kairi graciously and led her into the hospital room. There, Kairi saw Sora sitting upright, looking out the window. He turned to see pair walk in; time literally froze when Sora's eyes met hers.

"Sora, look who's here – It's Namine, and she's here to stay for a little bit," Rin said as she feigned a smile. As Rin continued to explain the situation to Sora, the two adolescents continued to stare at each other. Rin's voice started to fade and the only thing Kairi could hear was the loud thumping of her heart "Alright, Sora? You'll be fine here with Namine," Rin said. Sora turned to his mom and their eye contact broke.

"Huh? Oh, okay," he replied absent-mindedly.

"Namine, if anything happens, just asked for my number from the counter," Rin said. Kairi nodded in response and Rin bowed her head appreciatively. "Sora's dad will be here soon enough." She said her goodbyes to the two of them and went off. Sora and Kairi were left alone, and an awkward silence filled the room.

"Hi…" Sora greeted.

"H-hi!" Kairi piped back. "I-I'm…"

"Namine. Right?" Sora confirmed.

"Y-yeah," Kairi said.

"Sorry, but…I wasn't listening to that woman," Sora admitted. "What did she say again?"

"Uh, you mean your mom?" she said. Sora frowned at that statement.

"She's not my mom," he denied.

"O-oh… sorry," she mumbled. Kairi bit her lip nervously as she fidgeted nervously under his gaze. Sora noticed this and felt that guilt was pushing him to apologize.

"Please, don't say sorry… I didn't mean to snap – I'm sorry I did." Kairi looked up at him to see from his expression that his apology appeared genuine. He seemed understanding enough. "So, tell me, what did… uh, 'my mom' say again?" he asked again. Kairi smiled at him, glad that he'd at least humor her. "Oh, and I can't remember my name, but I've been told that it's Sora, so if anything just call me that." A soft smiled grew on Sora's face when he heard Kairi chuckled at that last statement.

"I'm—I'm Namine," Kairi replied. Before either of them could continue, Kairi's phone started to vibrate in her bag. She took it out hastily and flipped it opened to see a text message sent from Riku. It read: "_I hope u cleared thingz w/ soras mom _". She sighed, closed her phone and put it back in the bag wondering how would she ever be able to explain the circumstances to him; how would she ever be able to tell them the truth about Namine now? What else could she do but go with the flow at this rate? Looking up, she saw Sora staring oddly intently at her.

"W-what?" she asked in a fluster.

"Uh—Sorry…" Sora looked away. "I didn't mean to stare…"

"It's alright… I'm not mad," she assured. Sora looked up at her again, his deep blue eyes piercing right through her. She wanted to melt.

"You looked upset after you looked at your cellphone," he mentioned.

"Oh, It's nothing," she said.

"And—and you're really pretty," he stated.

"_Wha—?_"

"It's true," he said, making Kairi's face turn bright red. "That's why I was, uh, staring… sorry," he mumbled.

"I-it's okay!" she said. Kairi felt her cheeks warm up and she covered her face. "B-but—I'm not that p-pretty…"

"You don't have to deny it," Sora said back. Finding Kairi's flustery reaction cute, even watching her made him blush with glee. He smiled inwardly, deciding that he liked her for her meekness.

"You're… less rebellious than what I had imagined," Kairi invoiced as she took a seat and put her bag on the floor.

"Huh? Rebellious?"

"Your mom told me you weren't listening to her and stuff. You seem much less stubborn than what she made it sound like," she answered.

"Oh. Well…" Sora took a deep breath before he replied with full honestly. "How would you like it if you woke up one day to find these people claim to be your parents even though you've never seen them before?" he responded. Kairi seemed to wince at his statement. "I'm sorry… I don't mean to sound mean, but that woman who's claimed to be my mom is really, really… pushy. I'm as confused as she is, and she's not really helping… It hurts my head, so I try to ignore her. And I feel sorry for her, because she really thinks that I'm her son."

"B-but she _is_ your mom…" she squeaked.

"Okay, well – maybe she is, but…" he trailed off. Kairi tilted her head as if to urge him to continue. She remembered Rin telling her that Sora mentioned something about an orphanage – could Sora's new identity have something to do with him being an orphan? "But if she is my biological mom, why did she come to me now? And how did she find me? But, wait a minute, she can't be my mom… she said crazy stuff to try and make me 'remember' things."

"What do you mean?" Kairi asked.

"For one, I've never met you before I woke up here, but she told me that you and I were in _together_ – like, you know, as if we had some kind of relationship going on." Sora coughed a little to clear his throat then looked down at his lap. "That's when I shut her out. Just the idea of it – it's just crazy… we've never met, and no one would ever like me that way."

"That's not true!" she cried. Sora who was taken aback looked up her with surprise. Kairi covered her mouth and looked away. She noticed that her palms were sweaty when she breathed upon it. "S-sorry… but…" she gulped before continuing, deciding to obey what her gut was telling her; keep going along as 'Namine'. "B-but we _are_… together… you and I." She said. _And yet ironically, we're _not, she thought to herself. The last words that escaped her mouth seemed to give her a sour aftertaste and she redirected her gaze away from him in shame.

"Uh. Are you kidding me…?" he uttered in disbelief.

"E-everything… that your m-mom said… I-it's true – you have a-amnesia, but we don't know why or how yet… you don't have to believe me yet." Kairi stuttered. She forced herself to have eye contact with him in spite of her redden cheeks. "But y-you and I are b-boy-…friend and… g-girlfriend…"

"You're lying…" Sora denied, but Kairi timidly shook her head.

"You don't have to believe me…" she whispered. _Because technically, I _am_ lying…_ Afraid of what to expect out of him, she peeked up at him – her heart skipped a beat when she saw Sora bashfully looked away to avoid eye contact, finding his shy reaction unexpectedly adorable. He seemed like he was pouting but his face was flushed from ear to ear. He frowned to himself, unable to find a way to refute her without sounding mean. Perhaps this whole ordeal was all a sick joke, but her firm assertion and the look in her eyes and expression seemed too convincing. Regardless, he still thought she was crazy – but why did he keep blushing? He shook his head and chose to change the subject. "Namine, why am I here? How did I end up in this hospital?"

"Um. Because—because you're hurt," she replied awkwardly.

"Is that all?"

"You were in a car accident," she added. "A-and, someone ran a red light and hit your car…" Sora took a moment to think on what she just said and nodded.

"Well then… I don't remember _that_," he confessed. "But that seems like a realistic cause of amnesia." Kairi sighed in relief and made sure not to mention that his best friend, Tidus, died. "Namine?"

"Y-yes?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Okay…"

"Sora!" a voice called out. Before the two teenagers could react, Sora's dad came rushing into the room, huffing and panting. He was a tall young man, a little over Riku's height, with a stubbly beard and hazelnut brown eyes. His hair resembled Sora's, only it reached down below the base of his neck. "Sorry—traffic—was bad," he said between breaths. He bent over to catch his breath, and then took notice of Kairi seated in the chair. "Oh, are you Namine?" he asked. He looked around. "Did Rin leave already?"

"Y-yeah, she did…" Kairi replied. She got up, bowed a little and put out her hand for a shake. "I-I'm Namine, sir. It's nice to meet you."

"Uh…" Sora's father shook her hand. "Nice to meet you too. Rin says a lot about you… I didn't know Sora had a secret girlfriend."

"H-HEY!" Sora called out. "I'm right here, you know!"

"Oh, pipe down! You're supposed to be in denial about it anyway!" his dad answered back. "Wow, that was the most response I got out of him since he woke up," he said, winking back at Kairi to ensure her that he was just teasing. Kairi snickered at how interestingly playful Sora's dad turned out to me and marveled at how much it reminded her of Selphie. She wondered what it would be like if they ever met.

_Oh… That's right, I should be heading back,_ she thought.

"Don't get _her_ involved in this," Sora complained.

"I'm sorry," Kairi interrupted, "but I have to go now."

"Oh, so soon?" Sora's dad asked.

"I was only supposed to stay here until your arrival, Mr. Kamaya. And I also have to be somewhere right now," she said.

"Well, alright. It was nice meeting you, Miss Namine. And just call me Soruen," he said.

"You really have to go?" Sora called out. Kairi looked back at Sora unexpectedly.

"Y-yeah… I'm sorry." Kairi waved and bowed. "Goodbye."

They said their farewells and Kairi left the room only to hear Soruen crack corny jokes about Sora's last words. She escaped the hospital and mad her way toward her brother's car, almost in denial about what had just happened. Just within a few moments, things have taken on a strange beginning. Kairi wondered how she even got caught in the mess, but nevertheless she somehow felt jolts of excitement. Kairi, the quiet, shy girl who only stayed in her comfort zone with a few friends had finally committed to something so radically new and different that she hardly knew what to expect.

She sat in her brother's car and opened her purse to take out her cellphone in case she missed any texts or calls. It was then that she saw Riku's text in her inbox, the same one that she received when she was talking to Sora. She read it over again: "_I hope u cleared thingz w/ soras mom _". Taking a deep breath, she reminded herself again that she had impulsively taken Namine's name and role as Sora's girlfriend. A sudden dread came over the teen when she thought of what events she would be led into, and sure enough the foreshadowing rain clouds were already rolling in. She definitely knew that Riku would not be happy if he found out that Kairi had only been caught in a spider's web.

She pushed the 'reply' button and began to text her response:

"_yes i did. she was very nice about it so thingz r ok now._"

Without another giving herself another second to think, Kairi pushed 'send' and stuffed her phone back in her bag.

* * *

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**a/n:** AH HA HA HA HA HA I FINALLY FINISHED THIS CHAPTER.

Please tell me if this chapter was alright. My beta-readers were either unavailable or discombobulated today, so… I'm kind of unsure… X.x

So, REVIEW NOW PLEASE!


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